Harmonica.



8. LAUKANDT.

HARMGPHCA. APPLICATWN HLED JULY 3.1915.

' 1,285,747. v Patented Nov. 26, 1918..

BERNARD F. LAUKANDT. OF RED WING, MINNESO'IA.

'HARMON Application filed July 3, 1818.

T 0 all iciwm it may cmzccrn Be it. known that. I, BERNARD F. LAU-KANDT, a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Red iving, in thecounty of Goodhue and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Harmonicas, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to harmonicas or mouth organs provided withslidable mouthpieces; and it consists in the novel construc' tion of theparts forming the mouthpiece as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a harmonica provided with amouthpiece according to this invention. Fig. 2 is an end View of thesame. Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4 is a partial rear view, or" theharmonica. Fig. 5 is across-section through the harmonica. taken on theline 5-5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a similar cross-section of the frame, butshows a modification.

The harmonica is of any approved con struction. having a body portion 2generally formed of wood and provided with wind passages 33, metal reedplates 4. and vibrating reeds Cover plates (3 are provided and arearranged above and below the body portion 2 and the reed plates. Thesecover plates may be two separate cover plates as shown in Fig. 5, orthey may be portions of a continuous cover (it) as shown in Fig. 6. Thecover or cover plates have tone outlet holes or notches 7 at their rearparts.

The front edges of the cover plates (3 are provided with guide flanges Swhich project toward each other. and which are arranged parallel to thefrontedges 9 of the reed plates 4. The ends of the cover plates havelugs 10 formed on them which are rigidly secured to the end portionsot'the body 2 of the instrument. The cover plates have also tongues 12struck up from them and forming tone outlet holes 1-1. These tonguesbear on the reed plates and Form distance pieces which accuratelyposition the guide flanges 8 and prevent them from being sprung out ofalinement by the pressure of the ha nd upon the cover plates.

Only two tongues are shown. but cover plate may have as n'iany oi themas desirable. Openings 15 are formed at the ends of the cover platesbetween the ends of the guide flanges S and the lugs 10. The mouthpiece16 is a block of any suitable material, such as Wood, hard rubber or ahreach Specification of Letters Patent.

llatentcd Nov. 2&5. 119i 8. Serial No. 243,137.

minum. its front edge may bestraight. as shown, or it may be concave.This monthpiece has wind passages 17, and its rear side slides againstthe -front part of the body portion and the edges 9 of the reed plates.The mouthpiece provided with guide plates is having guide flanges 19which pro ject in opposite directions and engage with the flanges 8 ofthe cover plates. The harmonica and its mouthpiece may'have a single rowof wind passages, or said wind passages may be arranged one aboveanother in a plurality of rows.

The flanges it) slide through the openings 15, as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 1. and they have stops 20 which engage with the lugs 10and limit the travel of the mouthpiece in each direction. and prevent itfrom being wholly separated from the instrument.

The mouthpiece is held between the lips in the usual way. and theharmonica is slid back and forth upon it in playing the instrument. Therubbing contact between the instrument and the lips is obviated. and theconstruction of the attachment is such that a very tree and frictionlesscontact is provided between the mouthpiece and the instrument. and thedevice is very inexpensive to manntzn-ture. The mouthpiece can also bemade of celluloid.

What- I claim is:

1. The combiinition. with a haromica body. of cover plates secured aboveand below the harmonica body and having guide flanges at their frontedges. distance pieces arranged between the cover plates and theharmonica body. and a mouthpiece slidaole against the front of theharmonica-body and proyided with guide flanges which engage with theaforesaid guide flanges.

2. The combination. with a harmonica 'bodyxot corcr plates secured aboveand below. the harmonica body and having guide flanges at their tron!edges. said cover plates having also tongues struck up from them andforming tone outlet holes. said tongues bearing against the instrumentand positioning the said guide flanges. and a mouthpiece slidablcagainst the front of the harmonica body and provided with guide flangeswhich engage with the aforesaid guide flanges.

3. The combination, with a harmonica having reed plates above and belowits body portion. of cover plates secured above and below the reedplates and having guide flanges atv their front. edges. distance piecesbetween the said cover plates and reed plates, a mouthpiece slidableagainst the front part of the inst-rument,-and guide flanges secured tothe mouth iece and engaging with the aforesaid gui e flanges.

4. The combination, with a harmonica ..body, of cover plates securedabove and below the harmonica body and having guide flanges at theirfront edges and having also lugs attheir ends for securing them to theharmonica bodv. openings being formed between the said flanges and lugs,distance pieces between the cover plates and the harmonica body, and aslidable mouthpiece provided with guide flanges which slide through thesaid openings and engage with the aforesaid guide flanges and which haveproject.-

ing stops which engage the lugs.

In testunony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

BERNARD F. LAUKANDT.

